A solar cell module has a structure for the purpose of improving the environment resistance of a solar cell in which the light-receiving surface side and the rear surface side of a solar cell have sealing materials, respectively, and the outer side thereof has a protection member.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that, in order to increase a solar cell power generation efficiency, the rear surface side of a solar cell element has thereon, as sealing material, white sealing material including a white colorant; this is used to reflect sunlight, and reflected light is allowed to enter the rear surface side of the solar cell element.
Patent Document 2 discloses a prior art in which the rear surface member side selectively has a reflection member that reflects light to correspond to a region between adjacent solar cells. According to Patent Document 2, the structure of this prior art is disadvantageous in that an end of a solar cell and an end of a reflection member must be accurately positioned and even a slight dislocation therebetween causes a failure to effectively use a light reflection member. Furthermore, light entering a surface member at a shallow angle in an inclined manner does not collide with the reflection member and directly passes through the rear surface member. Thus, Patent Document 2 suggests a calculating formula to optimize the distance between a solar cell and a reflection layer.